Adventures In New Urbanism --- A Journal

[6459978. 106]

Great updates. One thing I noticed from the transit map though is that your sprawl areas are also fairly rectilinear-- I guess you haven't downloaded the diagonal streets mod? In my opinion that mod is the best thing to come out of Simtropolis. You should try it out.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Impressive update. The background stories you're providing and the presentation add a lot of depth to this CJ. I always enjoy the way you discuss this subject.

- Phil

EDIT: Welcome to page 7!

[louisville327 0]

The limo ride was shorter than I expected. Despite being very crowded, downtown Bend is actually fairly friendly to car traffic, since various alternatives like subway trains and hybrid engine buses are provided as well. Granted, we were riding in a small convoy complete with police escort---but just trust me.

We crossed downtown and reached Washington Tower with little delay.

Our meeting with the president of Washington Investment was on the top floor of the tower, which provided a superb view of the entire city. As negative as skyscrapers can be for good urban areas and street life, I just can't write them off. Skyscrapers are cool!

Anyway, Bend mayor John Abramson, my boss Bill White and I reached the top floor via elevator and were greeted by Washington Investment president Jacob Martin himself. Finally I was able to meet a man dressed better than Bill White---but just barely. Martin was shorter than I expected (not nearly as imposing as Mayor Abramson with his football shoulders), but not too short, and seemed in good health.

Welcome, my honored guests, Martin said to us as he lead us into the top floor conference room of Washington Tower. I trust all three of you are doing well today.

The mayor took off his jacket and sat at the huge table in the center of the room. Jacob, you know we are.

Good! Martin extended his hand in the direction of two seats, in which Bill White and I sat down. Martin sat in what I assume to be his usual seat at the head of the table.

The mayor was clearly at ease around Jacob Martin, and I could tell they had a very comfortable relationship. This is not unusual. As most political leaders come from well-connected and wealthy families, so do most business leaders, and I imagine Abramson and Martin have very similar backgrounds.

My friends, said Martin, you're here to build me a stadium.

Oh, come now. Jacob, it's not JUST a stadium we want them to build, said Abramson.

I'm only interested in the stadium, John, and you know that. The only reason this project is being delayed is because you wouldn't approve construction unless urban designers were brought in. I agreed, half-heartedly, but I'm trying to have a good attitude.

This was going to be interesting, I thought to myself.

Mayor Abramson turned to White and me, saying, You'll have to excuse my friend Jacob here. His primary interest is in making money, and he can probably do that whether or not you gentlemen are here. Unfortunately, Bend as a city can't truly benefit unless this project is done intelligently, so that's why I've asked you two to get involved.

Please go on, said Bill White.

You see, the mayor said, recently a major employer left Bend. The Bend Carbon Fiber Company vacated their large facility in the Platte district of the city, and they took with them thousands of jobs, mostly held by Platte residents. When they left, the district collapsed---crime increased, tax revenue plummeted, and city services were curtailed. The company was the foundation of that district, and now they're gone.

Jacob Martin added, Clearly I can't be as selfish as I probably seem. If my stadium project benefits the city as a whole and the Platte district specifically, then it will truly be a success. If not, Washington Investment will surely make money, but not as much as we could. We like to get the most out of our investments, naturally.

Bill White chimed in, Understood. So how can we help?

The mayor rose from his seat and put his jacket back on. Gentlemen, let's take a quick tour of Platte, shall we, so that everyone can see what we need to do.

[meinhosen 11]

Very nice update.  Hmm, new stadium?  This ought to be interesting.

Great story on the [proposed] urban renewal.

[lonaryl 3]

Keep it up! I'm very interested to hear more!

Regards,

[PhilsCafe 8]

I'm curious about that stadium project. Interesting story, nice pictures, great update...

- Phil

[Sproxxx 0]

This is great! I'm continualy amazed at every update. Where do all these ideas come from? How far ahead do you plan all this stuff?

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

Interesting!

It teaches us so much! Show me more, please .

[Baro 44]

More!! More!!

[louisville327 0]

Driving into Platte, I noticed immediately the sorry state the district was in. The view from the elevated highway running through the Eastern edge was one of urban decay, economic ruin and social decline.

The plant must have been amazing when it was still occupied, it's many buildings invoking a sense of power and productivity now long gone. I leaned against the window of Bend mayor John Abramson's plush limo and said, That must have been something.

Mayor Abramson, sitting next to Washington Investment president Jacob Martin and across from my boss Bill White and me, sighed and said, Yes sir, it was. It was definitely something to the residents of Platte, many of whom lost their jobs when the company left.

The limo exited the highway and turned right, heading north toward the old facility, built on the edge of the Audubon River. A couple of blocks later we reached the plant, which now seemed bigger than ever, and even more run-down. It was amazing that this much decay could occur in just a few months.

Unfortunately, said the mayor, that's not exactly true. As you can all tell, Platte has become quite a dump since Bend Carbon Fiber left the city. To make matters worse, it is currently mired in scandal, with the former district commissioner, Margaret Nalls, recently having been fired on corruption allegations. Nalls took a huge bribe from Bend Carbon Fiber to keep the news of the plant's closing quiet until the day of the company's announcement. She'll be tried on criminal charges in a couple of months. The new district commissioner, Emily Albertson, has been thrust into a terrible situation and is struggling to keep the district running.

The limo pulled away from the abandoned factory and headed down Platte's main road, Carbon Avenue---of course named in honor of the district's once-dominant industry. From behind the safety of the car's windows, we could see what had become of Platte.

Jacob Martin nodded and said, Exactly. The mayor is convinced that Platte can be revitalized---and, more importantly, my stadium can be profitable---if your firm is involved in the project.

Bill White shifted in his seat, looked at me, and then said to our Bend hosts, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Martin, consider the assignment accepted. Our firm will do its best to produce a project that this district and Bend as a whole will be proud of. I guarantee it.

Excellent, said Mayor Abramson. I'll expect a full proposal in two months, when we meet again. Mr. Martin here, Platte commissioner Albertson and myself will meet with you then and discuss the project, and your payment.

Rest assured, anything you plan can be financed by my company, so don't consider price to be a limiting factor, said Martin.

You just said the magic words, said Bill White with a smile.

[dmrsunz 2]

Very nice CJ L'ville. Too bad you've got to fend off the pro-sprawl crowd so often. Anyway, I've got a couple of questions for you.

1. I've read or skimmed all pages of this post and I've yet to come across a section dedicated to placement of and access to industry, that major component of life both real and simulated which people do NOT want within walking distance. Are there no blue collars in Norton? With all that R and C there must be some I under the rug somewhere.

2. Do you find trying to build a city based on real-world practices hampered by the fact that in SimCity the sims do not go shopping, or to school, or to the parks or any civic or commercial building as patrons but only as workers? Seems to me many of the appealing aspects of new urbanist theory in real life (the corner bar and the park next door) seems to have no place within the mechanics of SC4.

Nonetheless I'm pinned to the CJ and I hope to get some insights for my own anti-sprawl designs (though I'm more of A Pattern Language person myself). Keep up the good work!

P.S.: I'd also like to know how to accomodate diverse social classes within one new urbanist-style community in SC4. But I'll start a new thread for that, just wanted to generate some interest among the wise and wonderful readers of your CJ.

[PhilsCafe 8]

Oh well, I understand. The mayor intends to increase development with that stadium project, right? I guess you'll probably explain that even deeper.

That's a great update. I like the way you showed the decay and explained what used to be... very impressive.

- Phil

[louisville327 0]

Normally, I respond to all (or most) questions through private messages, but since these are good questions that relate to the themes I'm trying to present, I'll try to answer them here.

Date: 10/4/2005 5:52:29 PM
Author: dmrsunz
1. I've read or skimmed all pages of this post and I've yet to come across a section dedicated to placement of and access to industry, that major component of life both real and simulated which people do NOT want within walking distance. Are there no blue collars in Norton? With all that R and C there must be some I under the rug somewhere.

quote>

The unspoken fact concerning industry in Norton is that there isn't any. The industry is actually located in a neighbor city, in an older section of the metropolitan area of which Norton is a satellite. This is common for many new Traditional Neighborhood Design villages being built in suburban areas like Norton Commons outside of Louisville (which is the source of my fictional Norton's name). Later projects faced by Park White And Jacobs Urban Design will no doubt address the issue of industry and its necessary separation, but as of now, we'll focus on commercial and residential only.

Bear in mind that the United States has an economy dominated by commercial services. A very small percentage of the population works in any true form of industry these days, so the importance of it is far less in real life than in SC4.

2. Do you find trying to build a city based on real-world practices hampered by the fact that in SimCity the sims do not go shopping, or to school, or to the parks or any civic or commercial building as patrons but only as workers? Seems to me many of the appealing aspects of new urbanist theory in real life (the corner bar and the park next door) seems to have no place within the mechanics of SC4.

quote>

SC4 is what it is. I'm more frustrated by the lack of mixed-use zoning, but you can only expect a software program built on simple mathematical formulas to do so much. Especially since SC4 is already such a memory hog, I'm not sure additional aspects of city use would be possible (or desirable to anyone but the richest among us).

Simulations like SC4 can never be expected to precisely duplicate real life, so I make adjustments and estimations and assumptions with what I've been given to work with.

P.S.: I'd also like to know how to accomodate diverse social classes within one new urbanist-style community in SC4. But I'll start a new thread for that, just wanted to generate some interest among the wise and wonderful readers of your CJ.

quote>

The easiest way to do that is to start a new section of a city following a traditional design pattern (like a grid) while leaving out important services (schools, police, parks) that tend to drive up values. As development begins, make some of the older, R$ and C$ buildings historical to preserve them. Then, start adding services to spur higher-value development, making additional R$$ and C$$ buildings historical to preserve them. Then go crazy with the parks and trees to really drive values up, and before long you have mansions interspersed with bungalows and two-story brick houses, slum towers and million-dollar condo buildings. Generally, the game's demand formulas will allow the three value levels to function together and remain desirable, and unless your transportation network is a mess, decline and vacancy won't be much of a problem. At least, it hasn't been in my experience.

Thanks for the questions, and thanks for reading the CJ!!

[Kwakelaar 92]

This will be an interesting project for your CJ, looking forward to see how the problems of Platte will be solved.

[inquisitor 0]

I am really enjoying this CJ.  I eagerly await the design for the Stadium project.  Bend is based on the template of America's best low-sprawl cities, such as New York and Chicago.

Keep this one going...you've got another fan here.

[davejowsey 1]

very interesting stuff, i'm actually just embarking on a career in Transport Planning so particularly interested. My goal is to ensure the UK does not go down the US route of suburban sprawl.

 

One quick ques: what building is/was the Bend Carbon Fiber building?

[Jitterati 0]

Absolutely fantastic!   An inspiration to get back into building my cities and to learn more about urban planning in the real world.

 

Keep up the great work

[louisville327 0]

Jitterati: I know you've been a member since July, but it's an honor that your first Simtropolis post ever was here in this CJ. Thanks for the compliment and welcome aboard!!

[meinhosen 11]

Great work on Platte.  Now that's a city that is having issues with crime, abandonment, and joblessness.  I love the realism you've presented.  Can't wait to see how the story develops around the stadium proposal.

[slightlyslack 22]

Date: 10/5/2005 4:22:28 PM Author: davejowsey

One quick ques: what building is/was the Bend Carbon Fiber building?

quote>

 

Looks like a bunch of default game I-HT buildings plopped one right next to another.  It serves its purpose quite well.

[jacqulina 162]

excellent work growth is great,very nice pics

[louisville327 0]

Since a couple people have brought it up, I'll reveal the secret of the Bend Carbon Fiber plant.



The complex is actually just Newman Inc Aerospace Division ver. 2 , a very old lot by citynut, originally posted to the STEX in November 2003. I just cut the water off and it decayed quite nicely.

Now you know.

[DarkLoki 0]

Great cj, like the story. Luckely we don't have these problems here in the netherlands.

[Rabid Tangerine 0]

Oh man, I can't believe I missed an update on this! I done forgot about one of the most intriguing CJ's on ST! Shame on me!

louisville, I simply CANNOT wait for this story to continue!

[Baro 44]

If this CJ isn't updated soon, I might be forced to go out and cut down a few hundred square km of forest and replace it with ugly ugly pastel houses with plastic chandelies and 3 car garrages.

I'm warning you!

[louisville327 0]

I was tired of going to long meetings every day, but the plan for Bend's new stadium (located in the Platte district) was progressing very slowly. The partners of Park White And Jacobs Urban Design and I met every single day for the past month, proposing and scrapping hundreds of ideas for the project. The stadium itself had already been designed, but the surrounding area was totally up to us, and we weren't about to do a poor job.

That would be unthinkable.

Some 30 days after Bill White and I met with the mayor of Bend, John Abramson, and president of Washington Investment, Jacob Martin, we at PWJ were again sitting in the war room. We had come up with a lot of good possibilities for the site, but every time we second-guessed ourselves and started from scratch. The effort was wearing on us all.

Janice Jacobs sat back in her plush chair, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Bill White was pacing as usual, periodically adjusting his exquisite silk tie. Bob Park sat next to me and sipped from his World's Greatest Dad coffee mug that might as well have been glued to his hand for as much as he used it. I twiddled my thumbs.

On the wall was a photo of the project site as it now looked:

Like many poorly conceived stadium designs from the past, the Washington plan called for a lone structure lost in a sea of parking lots. Pavement pavement pavement. Just imagine the amount of heat that would radiate in the summer!

Jacobs dug around in her briefcase for something. That's a good idea, she said, and pulled out a few photos. I've got with me here several examples of other recent stadium projects. I was doing the same thing last night---studying the mistakes as a way to find inspiration.

Well let's see them! said Bill White, finally taking a seat. I swear that man must walk and stand 10 hours out of the day.

Jacobs stood and walked over to the projector stand at the front of the conference room. I'll put these up so you guys can see them. Let's start with the really bad examples, shall we?

This is a diagram of Texas Stadium in Dallas, where the Cowboys play football. Notice the orientation of the site. The stadium actually sits within a giant freeway interchange, surrounded on all sides by multi-lane superhighways and parking lots. It truly is an island. Again, like the Padres' stadium, the only feasible way to reach the site is by car, and any potential after-game destinations (like a bar or a restaurant) must also be driven to. Jacobs reached for a third image. This one was clearly cut from a magazine, since it still had the caption underneath:

Bob Park spoke up, And that's exactly what we must avoid at all costs.

Yes, said Janice Jacobs. I have a few other examples to show you, but these are good examples. As a segue, though, I'll show you one more image of a bad idea.

Bill White said, Now that's a solid design. What does that remind me of?

I know what that looks like, I said, sitting up in my seat. It looks like Wrigley Field in Chicago!

Jacobs smiled and said, It's funny you both recognized the similarity with Wrigley, because I was actually going to show pictures of it next. In fact, I was going to use it as the best possible example of good stadium design.

Instead, the city is graced with one of the most loved and well-respected baseball fields ever built, said Park.

A lot of the ambience of the stadium depends on its location as part of a dense urban neighborhood, continued Jacobs.

Bill White chuckled, And lord knows, to enjoy most of the games at Wrigley, Cubs fans need all the help they can get. If you know what I mean.

We all smiled. So true.

Anyway, Jacobs continued, without its location as part of an urban neighborhood with a lively street life and a pleasant multi-story skyline, Wrigley Field would not be as well-regarded as it is.

Bob Park sat up and looked around at the rest of us. It's clear what we must avoid when finalizing the design for Bend's new arena. While we're unfortunate not to have the opportunity to duplicate something as wonderful as Wrigley Field, we do have the opportunity to create something similar, something the city of Bend can be proud of. The Platte district is desperate for an improvement like this, and it's our job to really come through for them.

Well, I said, let's get to work!

[Fischbob 9]

Great update, I can't wait for more!

[____----____ 37]

any cj that takes a shot at the cubs is rubbish

[drool66 3]

As much as I like the stadiums integrated into the urban fabric, there's something to be said for tailgating

Also, how did you come up with Jacob Martin, because that kind of, like,  is my name.

[omegaschlange 0]

As I remember, Bend has a good subway system, but I haven't seen any evidence of public transport extending out to Platte - there's another $50 mil. the region will have to spend.

Looking at the site, I think a nice pedestrian river-front district lined with three-story mixed-use buildings would boost the entire feel of the neighborhood, plus it could be a draw on its own for people to come to the area.  (You could use PEG waterfront district bats for all this).  You could even build a ferry terminal nearby to keep up the water-theme.  An open stadium with it's north side abutting the newly constructed river-front area and facing towards the river could complement the whole setting (I'm thinking along the lines of the new-ish stadium in Seattle that faces out towards Puget Sound).  Although, you might need to do something about the other side of the river in that case - people won't want to be looking at dirty, abandonded shacks and industrial warehouse.  Anyway, throw some cute two-story buildings, with restaurants on the ground floor, directly across the street from the stadium on the remaining three sides.  Beyond that build some cool row houses like those seen in the picture of Wrigley field.  Eventually this can dissipate into the single-family homes in the rest of the district.

 

Then again, is the entire Platte region going to be torn to the ground or just the area immediately surrounding the old industrial site?